DISCOURSE IV.

The character of worldly-minded hearers considered.

MATT. xiii. 7.

And some fell among thorns: and the thorns sprung up and choked them.

PART I.

THIRD, THE WORLDLY-MINDED.

The figure explained---our Lord's exposition of it, in which are observable, 1. The treatment the word meets with---they hear it, receive it, but bring no fruit to perfection. 2. How its salutary operation is obstructed---they go forth---the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things, enter in---they become unfruitful. 3. The event---the thorns choke both the word and them..

I. The obstructions themselves considered---cares, riches, pleasures.

First, Cares of the world---how far sinful or otherwise---this shewn by considering men's temporal interests in reference to---subsistence, competence, affluence.

Second, Riches---their deceitfulness---men reason mistakenly about---wealth itself---mode of acquiring it---term of enjoying it.

Third, Pleasures---pleasure abstractedly considered a real good---when criminal---worldly pleasures various and fascinating. Address to the careful---covetous---voluptuous.

PART II.

II. How cares, riches and pleasures operate to prevent the salutary effect of God's word...no profiting by the word without considering it... three things necessary to consideration...leisure composure...inclination.

First, Leisure...ground choked with thorns affords not room for the seed to expand and grow...so secular affairs deprive men of time for religious meditation...time an inestimable gift...a proper portion of it ought to be employed about religion.

Second, Composure...the necessity of this to consideration...how an undue attention to worldly things unfits the mind for the practice of this duty...this shewn in regard of anxious cares... eager desire of riches...vehement thirst after pleasures.

Third, Inclination...total aversion to religious consideration in bad men...too often a backwardness to it in good men...the former confirmed, and the latter promoted, by an undue attachment to the world..

III. The sad event of such criminal commerce with the world...these hearers understand not the

word...do not believe it...are not obedient to it... and so, like the seed choked by thorns, are in the end lost...exhortations to professors of religion.

DISCOURSE V.

The character of sincere hearers considered.

MATT. xiii. 8.

But other seeds fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

PART I.

FOURTH, THE SINCERE.

The figure explained...our Saviour's exposition of it...these hearers have honest and good hearts... hear the word after a different manner from the others...understand it...keep it...bring forth fruit... with patience...but in different degrees...here proposed, to shew the necessity of the heart's being made honest and good, in order to profiting... describe the fruit which such bear...consider the variety in regard of degree and reasons of it... represent the blessedness of such persons. I. The necessity of the heart's being made honest. and good...will and affections have a considerable influence on the understanding and judgment ...gospel humiliating to pride and disgusting to

passion for worldly pleasure-hence opposition to it a new turn being given to the mind, it will be received in the love of it-the import

ance of regeneration.

II. The kind of fruit such bring forth describedfruit the ground bears of the same nature with the seed and the soil-nature and tendency of the gospel considered-what kind of man the christian is, in regard of-piety-social-personal duties--no absolute perfection—yet a real difference between a good man and a man of the world-Reflections.

PART II. .

III. The variety there is among christians in regard of degrees of fruitfulness and the reasons of it.

First, The fact stated-fruitfulness considered in regard of inward affections and external actions-various characters among good men described-various appearances of religion at different periods of life-scripture characters compared.

Second, The reasons of this disparity in respect of the fruits of holiness--worldly circumstances--opportunity-mental abilities-different means of religion--comparative different state of it in one christian and another greater or less effusion of divine influences,

IV. Blessedness of the fruitful christian-the pleasure that accompanies ingenuous obedience— fruitfulness affords a noble proof of uprightness --such held in great esteem by the wise and good--glorious will be their reward in another world.

DISCOURSE VI.

The duty of consideration explained and enforced.

MATT. xiii. 9.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

PART I.

THE DUTY EXPLAINED.

By this mode of expression our Lord meant to convey the following ideas-that the discourse he had been delivering was parabolical-that the truth veiled under the parable was most important that their considering it was necessary to their profiting by it—and that if they were not benefitted, the fault would be in their will, not their understanding-consider the duty men owe to the word-enforce it.

1. Consider the duty our Lord inculcates—to give energy to what they say, ministers should remind themselves of their duty-if they would be